Divya joined the University of Birmingham as a Research Associate, where she currently focusses on evaluation of digital health interventions.Her work sits at the intersection of public health strategy and health education, with a focus on creating evidence-based frameworks for institutional improvement.
Her academic foundation began in the natural sciences, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry. This technical background provided a rigorous understanding of scientific protocols and laboratory instrumentation. Driven by a commitment to population health, she transitioned into social and public health research during her Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Birmingham. During her graduate studies, she specialized in epidemiology and health informatics, conducting a retrospective cohort study on microvascular complications in women with type 2 diabetes and PCOS.
Currently, Divya leads a mixed-methods evaluation of the SCRIPT e-learning modules, where she analyses student engagement and satisfaction trends to optimize digital health pedagogy. Her expertise in mixed-methods research was recently utilized in a national study funded by the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) EDI Small Award programme. In this role, she co-authored a comprehensive report evaluating the implementation of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategies across 99 NIHR-funded infrastructures, contributing to a critical evidence base that now informs national funding and research inclusion frameworks.
Divya’s professional background spans the clinical, charitable, and academic sectors. Prior to her current research, she gained valuable frontline experience in primary care settings, providing a practical foundation in clinical record management and healthcare systems. She also previously contributed to the Save the Children International Global Medical Team, where she focused on medical service quality frameworks and the development of digital resources for frontline healthcare providers. Complementing her research, Divya serves as the Departmental EDI Representative for the School of Pharmacy, where she actively shapes inclusive practices and academic culture within the University.